Over 1.3 mn minority students pursuing higher education

Over 1.3 million students from minority communities are pursuing higher education in India, Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani informed parliament Wednesday.

"As per the response received in the All India Survey on Higher Education 2011-12, the number of minority students studying in higher education in the country is 13,22,332 (1.3 million)," Irani said in the Rajya Sabha.

The survey was based on responses from 611 out of 642 universities, 21,443 out of 35,431 colleges, and 5,542 out of 11,156 standalone institutions.

She said the ministry has implemented various measures like establishment of model degree colleges, women's hostels and polytechnics in minority concentration districts (MCDs) to increase the participation of minority youths in purview of higher education.

Additionally, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has also been implementing various schemes along with the minority affairs ministry.

"Centres of the Aligarh Muslim University have also been established at Mallapuram (Kerala), Murshidabad (West Bengal) and Kishanganj (Bihar). Academies for professional development of Urdu-medium teachers have been set up in three central universities - Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Maulana Azad National Urdu University," she said.